Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-07-21
IN TUTTLE'S STATE.
Thousands of Acres of Land Obtained by
Fraud In Iowa.

Thousands OF Acres OF Land obtained ny
Fraud In Iowa.
WASHINGTON, July Cool. Albert
Akers, of Nashville, who is special agent
of the Swamp Division of the Land Office,
is up in Iowa investigating the numerous
large frauds which have been undertaken
10y the hand pirates to steal Governmen,
lands under various pretexts. DR.. l.. ].
Wooden, of Vevay, Ind, who is the Chiel
of this Division, says that Col. Akers Is do
ing good work in unearthing the attempt
ed frauds of the thieves who seem to be
without conscience, and think all things
are fair against the Government. DIR.
Woolen gave our correspondent two
instances that are fair specimens OF the
thoroughbred stealing that has been at
tempted in the Land Office, and which
has been uniformly successful under pre-
ceding Republican administrations. In
the county of Story, claims have been filed
for $50 forty. acre tracts under the swamp
laws ofthe United States. Col. Akers has
thoroughly investigated these claims, and
finds that there is not single acre in that
county that is claimed that comes under
the provisions, so that all Of these claims
are baldheaded frauds made out OF the
whole cloth. In Boone county Of the same
State, applications were filed for 300 FORTY
acre tracts. and of this entire lot there was
found but one good title, and that to only
one forty-acre piece.
This is, of course, hard OH the land
pirates of Iowa, and they are, as matter
of course, gnashing their teeth in impotent
rage. They have enlisted the sympathies
of the Republican press of Iowa which
evidently thinks the peculiar privileges OF
the latter-day Republican saints are being
sadly interiered with by this Democratic
Land Office The Republican sheets have
a very logical argument in answer to the
damaging discoveries that have been made
by Col Akers, and that he is an "unre-
pentent rebel, " and that be has been sent
up North to rob the truly loyal people and
interfere with their innocent pastimes OF
robbing the Government and keeping
the lands from being occupied by
bona-tide settlers. There il NO doubt
that the Republican party will
continue 10 think that the war was fail
ure as long as 'unrepentent rebels" inter
fere with their scheme for Doodle in this
way. IL is great shame that this thing
should 20 on; and Foraker, Fairchild n
Co. should raise another howl The Pres
ident should be threatened by few more
q. A. K. cranks, and in the midst of the
waving of the bloody shirt, il may he that
Colonel Akers will be suppressed. 1t is
49, 1, dana In tt,a ntt,
will not he safe, according to the Repub-
lican idea, until the days Of unlimited
stealing of the public domain can be re-
called; days, he it remembered, when the
so-called rebels had least to say how this
government should he run. Ii IN quite
probable that still further evidences Of
fraud in the Land Office during the Re
publican regency will be exposed.
The Secretary of the Interior has con-
CURED in the recommendation OF the Com
missioner Of the General Land Office, Of
May 10 last, that commission be ap-
pointed to make thorough and exhaustive
investigation Of the condition of the Will
Iiamette Valley and Cascade Mountain
wagon n-road, the Dallas military wagon
road and the Oregon Central wagon-road,
in the State of Oregon, especially ~ TO
whether the said roads have been con-
structed, and whether OF not the certiiica-
ton Of the Governor on the completion Of
said road was obtained by false and fraud-
ulent representations, made by parties in.
terested in obtaining said lands.
The Secretary has appointed John h.
McNamee, Of Cleveland, O., now Of the
Assistant Attorney Generals Office, TO rep
resent the department on the commission,
and will soon appoint two Others 10 rep
resent the General Land Office on the rec.
ommendation Of the Commissioner. The
investigation il made to the General Land
Office that neither of these wagon roads
has been completed according to law, al
though their completion has been duly GER
titled to by the Governor Of Oregon. The
grants to these roads aggregate about
81. 300, 900 acres.
Lester A. Bartlett, by his attorney, has
filed with the Secretary OF the Interior an
appeal from the adverse decision Of the
Commissioner of the General Land Office
in the matter of Bartlett's application 10
enter with General Scrip certain lands on
the Chicago Lake front.